To run or not to run?
“My body says I should take a nap instead of running, how do I know whether or not to listen to it?”
I was running on the rail trail one day when I passed one of my athletes walking. I jokingly gave them a hard time for walking instead of running, then asked why. They said that they had gotten to the halfway point of their run and just hit a wall. They also confessed to inadequate pre-run nutrition and a few nights of poor sleep. They knew that cutting the run short to walk (under the circumstances) was the right decision, and they were right. I was proud of them for listening to their body instead of pushing through on a day when taking it easy was the better decision.
You might be wondering “It’s all well and good to listen to your body, but how do you know your body isn’t lying to you?!”
The next time you think your body is telling you not to exercise (or to exercise lighter than planned), ask yourself the following questions.
Did I sleep well last night?
Am I well hydrated?
Have I eaten enough carbs/protein to fuel my planned exercise?
What have my workouts looked like over the past few days/week?
Am I healthy?
1- Quality sleep is often overlooked, but it is so important if you are placing demands on your body! Without proper rest, your body can’t recover from previous exercise. It also may not have adequate energy to get your through your planned workout. It is wise to take it easier on the exercise after a few nights of poor sleep. Pushing yourself too hard on too little sleep is more likely to set your training back than it is to advance your training.
2- We probably all know how important hydration is! I try to sip on water all day long, with more first thing in the morning and before/after exercise. If you aren’t properly hydrated before exercise, you are placing extra demands on your body, and risking getting light headed/dizzy or a whole host of other symptoms.
3- Nutrition is also important. Your body relies on carbs to fuel exercise, and protein to help repair muscles after exercise. If you aren’t eating a proper amount/balance of carbs and protein during the day, your training will suffer. If you know your body is not properly fueled for your workout, it is better to modify or postpone the workout until your body is ready.
4- What have the past few days or weeks looked like in your training? Have you been hitting it hard multiple days in a row, or gone several weeks without backing off on the overall intensity of your workouts? If so, your body likely needs an easy day or an easy week to fully recover from the intensity and come back refreshed and ready for more hard workouts.
5- This one should probably go without saying, but I’m as guilty as the next person of running when I’m sick/injured. If you are sick, or recovering, your body is working very hard to make you healthy, and doesn’t have a lot of energy left over for exercise. It is better to take the time to recover fully from illness/injury before exercising so that you don’t just end up sick/injured again.
That feeling when you have a great run after your body tried to tell you to nap instead!
Recently, I have experienced two separate instances where my body told me not to run. The circumstances were different each time, and so I came to two different conclusions.
For two weeks in a row, I ran every day, M-F. I got 24 miles each week, but the distance of each run varied from 3-7 miles. Except for Thursday of the second week, when I started running and my body immediately told me that it was too much. Nothing hurt, but my whole body was dragging, and it wasn’t enjoyable at all. So I jogged 1 mile very slowly, and then stopped. The next day, I felt fine and I ran 5 miles. The third week, I decided to play it safe and not push for 5 runs in a row. I ran on Monday and took Tuesday off. On Wednesday, as I was getting ready to run, my body was telling me to take another day off. It was begging me to take a nap instead. But I went through the checklist in my head. Did I sleep well last night? Yes, and I got a little over 8 hours. No problem there. Am I well hydrated? Yes. I have been sipping water all morning. Am I properly fueled? Yes, I had a good breakfast with a balance of carbs and protein, along with some fruit and yogurt. Should my body be too tired to run? No, I took yesterday off, as well as all weekend. After this assessment, I determined that I did not in fact need to take a nap instead of going for a run. I went for the run, and it felt great!
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The next time your body tells you it needs a break, assess your answers to the 5 questions above, and use your answers to help you decide whether or not to listen! If you decide to ignore your body, and then it tells you even louder once you start exercising, there is absolutely no shame in changing your mind and quitting! Listening to our bodies is definitely not an exact science, but all we can do is our best. The more in tune we are to the variables effecting our training, the more successful our training will be. Drop me a line in the comments below and let me know how it goes!
